Kiss It All Better
by Eternal Orchestration
Summary: Oh no! Joshua's sick which means Neku's Composer-sitting for Sanae while he's away. JoshuaxNeku twoshot R&R? Complete!
1. Chapter 1

Another afternoon, another day to spend talking with Mr. H. Neku visited Wild Kat frequently, never missing a week without coming to the less populated café. Though, Neku never saw Him there. It was odd, he seemed to be comfortable at Wild Kat with Mr. H. Why wasn't He there? Yeah, Neku didn't quite forgive him yet and he really disliked being around him for very long, at least that's what he thought, turning the corner of Cat Street from Miyashita Park. But, today was odd, Neku noticed that some things he passed by changed colors or size. He passed by his neighbor's house, a dog, and a big one at that, would poke his head out of the fence when he would walk by or anyone really. But today, it was half it's size, he almost thought it was another dog entirely. Next, on his way here, he saw that some thing that looked like it was more at home in a freak show. It was a cat but it was rainbow colored! Like ROY G. BIV and everything, man! Neku had to check his temperature and pulse to make he was alive and not in the UG again. Nope, still alive. Good, he was just going insane.

He looked down the street to see the open café's railing closed down over the entrance, only a small space open. In the gap, Neku could see a black pant legs of the famous artist. Neku smiled, yeah, it was odd that the door was down but, he could at least pop in and say hi right? Even a month after the Game between Him and his Conductor, he was still on the high of finding out Mr. H was CAT, his idol, just a little bit inside. He stuffed his hands into the wide pockets of his shorts. He half bent over, on his way down to peek underneath to see what was going on until the gate started to raise quickly from a hand pushing it back up, making Neku straight and go rigid in surprise.

"But, Sanae, you can't leave me here like this!!", a prissy voice whined to the Producer. "I need bedside company in my time of need!", the voice sniffled from the counter, a hot cup of soup in one hand with tissues in the other. Mr. H was putting on his coat, looking at Shibuya's Composer who seemed even paler than usual if that was possible. His silvery colored head dropped onto the counter top in a sickly groan.

"I'm sorry, Boss, but I got stuff to do so I can keep feeding you and puttin' a roof over ya head!", the barista spoke back. Joshua , turned to see the merciless Mr. Hanekoma leave, hoping to glare him back here to take care of him when he was obviously sick, but his blood shot eyes grew open as he spotted Neku there. Sanae, wondering what Josh was looking at, turned in that direction and a smile grew on his face. "Phones! Perfect, you're just on time!"

"I am…?", Neku entered cautiously, he had a feeling he was in for something he'd much rather not be doing. Mr. H. grabbed him by the front of his purple shirt and jerked him forwards to the two, Neku pulling his collar up over his mouth and nose to make sure whatever Joshua had, he didn't catch. Knowing him, making Neku suffer along with his sickness would be expected.

"Look, I've gotta head outta here and take care of some things but Boss is sick. I need ya to do me a favor and watch him for me, 'kay?", he spoke almost quickly so Neku couldn't refuse, smiling at him.

"Hey, I don't even forgive him, let alone should I be his nurse!"

"You shouldn't but would you? Pretty please, Neku, dear?", Joshua smiled but the fact he was sick as a dog didn't help persuade him.

"No way, you can go sneeze your brains out for all I care!!"

"Phones, come on, please, you don't have to forgive him but could you at least baby sit him?!

"Baby sit?!", the two boys spoke in unison, one less excited about the prospect than the other. Yeah, Neku'd be taking care of the all mighty Composer like a little kid, ha, what a laugh! Neku snickered away from Joshua's eyes but he caught the sound anyways and scoffed as he rolled his eyes before they met Sanae's dark black eyes.

"I'm Shibuya's fucking Composer, I don't need anyone to take care of me, especially Neku!!", Joshua yelled, raising his scratchy voice to his Producer. He coughed, a tissue covering his mouth. God, he was messed up. Neku watched as the Composer, slide his way off the counter stool before his feet, hit the tile. Neku hadn't noticed until now but Joshua was in a power blue bathrobe, and slippers, a button up pajama shirt underneath and long pants with feathers blowing from one pant leg to another below the knees. Joshua held the cup of soup in his hand and gently slurped it on his way behind the corner to snag another box of tissues, not the crap napkins you'd get on your table but fancier ones. The ill Composer tried to make his way upstairs. He could just barely stand up, let alone go upstairs to rest, he'd fall before he made it all the way up.

"Okay, I guess I could stay for a while but please, come back soon.", Neku murmured to him as Sanae nodded with a chuckle before leaving the shop, shutting the large steel gate behind him. He heard a set of keys jingling on the outside… Wait a second, he was locking him in here with him!! Damn you, CAT, damn you to hell!! Neku sighed.

"Great, I'm stuck with him in here and to top, he's sick.", Neku groaned before seeing Joshua turn back and look at him. It wasn't particularly a glare but he wasn't exactly happy with Neku's attitude. "Here, I'll help you up the stairs.", Neku held out his hand so he could do as such but Joshua merely swatted it away.

"I'm fine and I think I can walk up a couple stairs, Neku.", he turned away, almost defiantly of him before moving away towards the stairs again, making the first few steps until he coughed and nearly lost his balance, needing to flail and catch himself on whatever wasn't the stairs. He grabbed two things, dropping the tissue box and his mug on the way there. The first was the hand railing, thank Himself he caught that. The other, he wasn't so grateful as he latched onto Neku's shoulder. He had been following him the way up to make sure something like that didn't happen. Joshua took his hand off of his Proxy, bent over only to grab his tissues before heading all the way upstairs. Neku glanced around, he'd never been up here before. Usually, he stayed downstairs but today, he had to take care of the Composer brat, Joshua. He wasn't forgiving him but the least he could do for his friend and ex-partner was to take care of him when he was sick, right? He saw said partner turn into a bedroom, quickly following him, it was white, grey, and black, reminiscent of the Room of Reckoning, Joshua's throne room. A bed with white sheets lay in the middle, a nightstand to the left, a small window to the right side. A dresser against the wall across from the bed held a small TV set. A desk with a computer set up on it sat on the other side of the bed. The walls painted in serpents, slithering their way up the walls, there was one on Josh's door too. It looked so well done, Neku reached out to it and before he made any contact with it, the reptile shifted away, moving like a real one to the ceiling which made all the others shift and shuffle around the walls.

"W-What the hell!? Josh, what's with your wallpaper?!", Neku was shocked, wide eyed as he came inside, Joshua was already sitting under his thick comforter sheets in his bed. He seemed to smile at Neku, not telling something like that on purpose.

"Don't touch, they like to bite. Hee hee… Nurse Neku, go fetch me some water?", it was a question but it came out more as a command without a choice of saying 'no'.

"I'm here to watch you, not be your servant, Joshua.", Neku spoke, crossing his arms, stealing himself a tissue to put over his mouth until he could find surgical masks around here if Mr. H. ever wore them when he was sick. W-Wait, how could the Composer get sick, isn't he higher than mortal diseases or some crap like that. "Hey, Josh…"

"If you're wondering why I'm ill, its simple. My life is the exact same of yours only the years are stretched out much, much farther in Composer years. Every once in a while, I'll get sick with the cold too, see? Now, my water?", he smiled, cutting him off, almost like he was to wait on him hand and foot. Like Hell, was he gonna do that!

"No, go get it yourself or with your Composer powers or something!"

"Ooh, how cruel Neku, refusing my illness and telling me something like that…", he faked a sob, and damn, was that convincing if he was an actor. However, Neku knew better than that to believe anything he'd say. "Oh, come on, please? I'm asking nicely, Neku.", Joshua frowned, not getting through with that one. Neku turned away, just as defiantly as the Composer had downstairs.

"N-Neku…", Joshua took in a gasp before he choked forwards suddenly, coughing violently, much more than what he had downstairs. His paler hands clutched at his chest through the fabric of his shirt. Neku panicked and ran down stairs for a glass, coming back up quickly, almost slipping on what remained of Joshua's soup as he climbed the flight of stairs. He rushed into the room, handing him the glass, his heartbeat was quick, and his breathe hitched, trying to catch it. Joshua looked up at him, from his slumped over position, a hand still to the point of tearing the front of his shirt off but it relaxed and felt to his lap as the other one took the glass from Neku's near shaking hand. "Oh, thank you, my dear Proxy, I was completely parched and had to take my medicine. Hee hee…", he turned towards his nightstand opposite of the Composer's other side and grabbed the two capsules of cold medicine before popping them into his mouth and drinking down the glass of water in one shot, mostly because he wanted to, also because if he didn't, Neku'd splash it in his face.

"… Joshua… You bastard, I thought you were seriously choking!!", Neku yelled, so much so, the dragons on the walls and ceiling flinched unlike the Composer. Neku just watched as he smiled at him.

"Yes, but just look at it this way. Now that I've taken my medicine and I've gotten plenty of fluids as doctor's orders, I'll be just better in no time and the sooner I'm better, the sooner you'll never have to see my face again!", Joshua had a point, once he was better, he didn't have to see him anymore. His fist clenched as he stormed off to find a surgical mask to keep away from Joshua's virus in the bathroom across the hallway. Digging through underneath the sink to find one. He snapped it over his nose and mouth before coming back inside, being careful of Joshua's wall serpents. Neku went over to the computer desk and stole the rolling chair there and took a seat, helping himself, finding not a single reason to ask permission.

"Why don't you just go to sleep, you need the rest.", he figured if he could convince him to sleep, Neku could try to find a back door out of here. Joshua just set the glass on the nightstand and looked at him with the cocky little smirk, even sick he had that insufferable attitude.

"No, I'll be fine. Besides, it seems that we've got a little visitor at my window.", Joshua's bloodshot dark violet eyes moved to the window where Neku saw something scratching at the glass, sitting on the windowsill. It was that cat, the weird rainbow colored one! "Neku, could you please let him in? He's dreadfully lonely.", Joshua asked and it actually sounded like a request. Why not, if it was his cat. Wait, since when did Joshua have a cat?! Neku wouldn't trust him with a goldfish, let alone anything with fur! Neku stood up from his chair, it rolled back a bit as he walked towards the window, pulling the black drapes away before unlatching the window and pulling it up. The colorful feline jumped in at the moment the space was big enough for him to squeeze through, getting a running start to hop up onto Joshua's lap. It was still so weird looking, with the kitten's nose a bright red, to orange ears, the yellow scruff of his neck, turning into a green color. From the green, it was blue, to indigo, and the tip of his tail was violet fur.

"Your cat's rainbow colored, Josh…", Neku stated the obvious though Josh didn't exactly mind. A hand passing from the top of the cat's head to the tip of his tail.

"Yeah, I know, that's because I'm sick. Shibuya's minor things, like size, shape, and color, tend to change whenever I'm sick, usually when I sneeze and lose my grip on Shibuya. A matter I'll fix when I'm better.", he answered him, the multi colored cat laying down on the Composer's lap, Neku could hear it purring as Joshua's fingers curled underneath his chin.

"But, why don't you fix it now? I mean, why would you be comfortable petting your cat when he's all… flashy?", Neku asked, pulling the window back down and locking it again before going back to his seat. He put a hand into his pocket, eyes drawn to the odd sight.

"But I'm still sick, I know I'll be sneezing still, why fix something that you know is going to break again? Besides, how many people can say their cat's all the colors of the rainbow? Hee hee…", he leaned back onto his pillow, the kitten crawling up onto his chest, looking at him before making a mewling sound.

"What's his name?", Neku asked curious as the cat looked up at his with bright yellow eyes.

"Neku Jr.", Joshua smirked as a giggle escaped his lips as Neku frowned. Neku Jr. ? He named it after him? "Why, you don't like it, he looks so much like you normally. Orange fur, and he's so affectionate, aren't you, Neku, dear?", the cat meowed at his owner's question, answering him. At least that Neku was happy being called 'dear'. Junior looked up at Neku with nearly the same expression as he had looking at the cat, which was less than happy but not exactly angry at anything. "See the resemblance? He's like our little baby.", Neku gave a gasp at the comment.

"Excuse me?! Since when?!", Neku had reeled back, nearly tipping himself backwards on the chair and hitting his head against the wall or the floor. Luckily, he didn't but the noise seemed to startle Neku Jr. and the serpents as they shifted away, collecting on the ceiling. The rainbow tabby dug his tiny sharp claws into Joshua's chest and stomach, tearing the fabric away before jumping off and going to hide underneath his bed which knocked the wind out of him, causing a cough. Once the commotion ended and everything was calm, Neku was the only thing worrying. "J-Josh, sorry, I…", Neku apologized, he shouldn't have made such a loud noise like that and scared Neku Jr. Joshua held his sleeve to his mouth as he cleared his throat.

"Don't yell, now Neku Junior's hidden under the bed and the serpents are snippy. Don't get close to the walls if you know what's good for you.", Joshua sighed, Neku felt bad, just because he wasn't forgiving Joshua, doesn't mean he should make him feel any worse, especially when he was sick! He ran a hand over his torso where the cat jumped off of. Was he in pain? "Neku, go and get me another shirt, in my dresser, this one's ruined.", Neku still felt a little guilty, the least he could do was get him another shirt. He stood, seeing the Composer's cat's violet tail, stiff with its fur sticking up, still partly shocked and trying to calm down.

"Y-Yeah, sure… Top drawer, right?", Neku walked over to the dresser, going into the top drawer. Neku's cheeks went red as he slammed it shut, earning a giggle from the boy behind him, obviously knowing what was in there.

"Oh, my Neku, taking a peek into my underwear drawer, how naughty of you…"

"S-Shut up, you didn't tell me where the hell your underpants were!", Neku spoke in almost an angry whisper. Hoping not to scare anything on the walls or under the bed. Joshua didn't raised or lower his voice at all as he faked that flirty tone. A perfected art of the Composer.

"If you wanted them, you could have just asked, with a little begging of course. Hee hee…", Joshua lifted his arms over his head, pulling off what was left of his poor shirt, left in tatters as he tossed it off into a waste basket that was half full of discarded tissues by his bed. Neku pulled through several different drawers until he found Joshua's shirts, tossing him whatever was closest to his hand, a white button up shirt like the first. Was that all he wore? Neku really had no say, seeing as he wore similar outfits a lot too. It landed in his hand as he glanced at it then Neku. He swore, another word and he was going to burst a blood vessel and die all over again! He glared at Joshua, hoping with enough thought, he'd drop dead. Joshua just grinned towards his proxy. Here it comes…

"Just put the shirt on…", he spoke through his gritted teeth.

"As much as I'd love to, I'd appreciate it if you'd not stare at me with your mind in the gutter.", he flashed that smirk, long fingers undoing the buttons before spilling it on and redoing them again. Just like him to overcomplicate things, rather than pulling it over his head. Once he left the last two buttons on the top alone, he sighed. "Looking at me, wanting my underwear, thinking those kinds of thing about me, you should be ashamed, Neku.", he giggled that horrible, insane giggle of his.

_"Must… Resist… Homicidal… Impulse…"_ , Neku was about to kill him if he hadn't promised Mr. H. Then again… No, he'd much rather not go to jail. Neku resisted whatever decision to hurt Joshua and calmed, to some degree. "I don't want your boxers, you bastard! Jeez, what's wrong with you?!", Neku spoke louder, though still hushed, though still angry beyond his understanding.

"Well, let's see, a sore throat, a bit of a cough, runny nose, and the sniffles. Not to mention these…", he answered, pointing to his chest, tiny scratches on his chest and stomach from Junior's claws. It looked like it hurt. Or at least was a slight inconvenience, a snarky grin over his deathly pale face. Neku grit his teeth and tried to endure, Mr. H owed him so much for this… Joshua was basically pounding his head into concrete! Neku saw some bandages in the bathroom getting the surgical mask. That and some disinfectant next to it. May as well, though he was doing it himself, Neku wasn't dressing his wounds for him, Hell no.

"Fine, hang on, I'll be right back…", the orange haired teen left the room to the bathroom across the hall, going down to the bottom shelves to find them. Ah ha! A couple rolls of bandages and the disinfectant spray! He stood up, with the two in hand before coming back into the Composer's bedroom, using his foot to close the door half way out of habit. Joshua was surprised, inside, his smirk on his lips. He didn't expect Neku to come back with dressings for such tiny little scratches. He could say something like 'aw, how sweet of you, my dear proxy!' but no. He'd hold off, give him a break. Just this once though. "Here. Do it yourself, I'm not going anywhere near you, let alone with a cold!", he tossed both the bottle and the bandages onto the Composer's lap and crossed his arms, on head going to adjust the mask on his face first before meeting with the inside of his elbow.

"Alright, if you insist. You need to do better, some nurse you are. Hee hee…", Neku could be heard scoffing at the comment. He wasn't his nurse, nor was he going to be once he was better and Mr. H. came back to unlock the door. Joshua used the disinfectant first before wrapping the bandages himself, though, he need help holding onto one end which Neku was forced to at least, still ticked off at… everything. "There we go. All done.", he grinned, not bothering with a 'thank you' for helping.

"Sleep. Now.", he spoke through his seething and balled fists, ready to punch his lights out to get his rest if Neku needed to, or not.

"Whatever you say, Nurse Neku! Hee hee…", he let out one more giggle before pulling the sheets over his shoulder and snuggling into his overstuffed pillow. Within a few minutes, Joshua was fast asleep. Neku seated again, yeah, he could have gone back downstairs but, a part of him, just a tiny, tiny bit missed that snarky attitude of his. Why? A month of Hell and back through his hometown. Three games, watching people be erased, watching his friends suffer for a bet that would determine the very existence of Shibuya itself. His murderer, sick with a common cold, who'd brought him into the Reaper's Game, shot him in cold, cold blood. He never had a single bit of remorse, did he? He… Never even… Apologi…

"…", Neku had eventually fallen asleep, his head fell backwards on the spine of the chair, horrible position unless you wanted a stiff neck in the morning but Neku had had a hard time sleeping lately. Probably all the crap from the Game. Joshua's violet eyes opened, to see that Neku was sleeping. Clumsily and failing at it completely, looking like he was going to fall off the chair any second now. The Composer couldn't help but let out a snicker as Neku began to mumble something.

"… J-Joshua… Don't…kill me… Please…", Joshua felt a tug at his deeply buried heartstrings. He sat up, propping himself with one hand. A nightmare. Not a particularly good one either. He lifted himself from bed, slipping his light blue fuzzy slippers on his feet before going up to the sleeping Neku. He looked at his face, worried and scared without seeing his eyes. Joshua could do something about it… If he wanted to.

"Hmm, stuck at a crossroads, indeed…", Joshua muttered to himself. Fine, just as thanks for helping while he was sick. Joshua placed a silent gentle kiss to Neku's forehead and smiled as the mumbling faded to quiet sleeping breaths.

The Next Morning

Neku was at home, Mr. H. had come back earlier that morning and let him out. Joshua was feeling 'oh so much better all thanks to Nurse Neku'. That night with him, he slept pretty well, unlike lately. He was so glad to be out of there, it sucked waiting on Josh left and right, even worse was--

"Achoo! Ugh…", Neku sneezed. Apparently, he'd caught Joshua's cold somehow. But how? He barely touched him! Ugh… Neku felt terrible. Shiki had called earlier and asked for him to go see a movie with her, Eri, Beat, and Rhyme but he had to obviously decline. The bland young lady even offered to come over and take care of him, he heard the other three chip their two cents in too. Eri wanting to try a recipe for colds that she learned from her grandmother, Beat wanted him to stop making excuses and get his ass over to the theater, Rhyme told him that Neku was telling the truth and that he felt really bad and needed to get rest and then spouted off some saying to keep plenty of rest. Like he didn't know that but it was nice to her to say. Neku sneezed again and ended with a short coughing fit. His head was pounded and tissues littered his floor and bed spread. He was bent over a vaporizer, head under a towel to catch the steam to open his sinuses. It didn't work very well though. He'd already taken a dose of Tylenol for colds but it wasn't working fast enough and he still felt like shit! He could hear his mother downstairs, making him some soup to drink until the door bell rang. He heard his mom answer it downstairs and heard a familiar, highly unexpected and unwanted voice.

"I heard from Shiki that Neku was sick and I wanted to give him some company."

"Oh, Neku's just upstairs, the first door to the right. But, how do you know my son?"

"We met in Udagawa when he was staring at CAT's work. We just hit it off like the best of friends. Hee hee…", Neku's mother could be heard saying 'Oh' in understanding before leading him to the stairs and going back to the kitchen to tend to the pot. Approaching footsteps… Getting louder as they came up the stairs… No. No. No!! The door clicked open as the knob turned.

_"He wouldn't dare…"_, Neku thought, screaming it in his throbbing head. He pulled he towel off his head, gripping it in his fingers.

"Hey, Neku!"

"Get away, you prissy little snot!!", Neku yelled, moving backwards on his bed before he fell from it, landing on his back, the towel drifting its way onto his face.

"Get well soon. Hee hee."


	2. Chapter 2

As the Composer came in, looking at him on the other side of the bed, pulling out a handkerchief from his pocket, he covered his mouth, not wanting to be sick again.

"Up and at it already?"

"No, get out, you gave me your cold and you're all better, I don't want to see you ever again now out!! Out!!", Neku took whatever was next to his hands and tossed them at Joshua's face, meaning to hit him and knock him out so maybe Neku could chuck him out his window and into a bush! A Pinhead Weekly magazine, the towel from his vaporizer, a wireless game controller, his backpack, a pillow, a DS, and whatever else he could grab at was flung towards the Composer. Of course, his lack of being able to breathe and the air being knocked out of him with that fall from his bed, Neku didn't last long and Joshua remained intact as Neku missed every shot, laughing at him with that mocking condescending giggle.

"But I wanted to help you get better and take care of you, haven't I done that well enough in the past?", Joshua used the same handkerchief and dusted away the tissues on Neku's bed before sitting down.

"No, you haven't, you little brat, get out of my room and get out of my house!", Neku yelled, though he was out of breath as he punctuated his voice with a cough. It all Joshua's fault, its always Joshua's fault!

"I come here out of the goodness of my heart to help you in your time of need and I get yelled at? I thought I taught you better than that. Besides, the sooner you get better, the sooner I can leave so shut up, get in bed, and get some rest.", Joshua's smirk turned into something more of a threat, if Neku didn't do as he said. Unlike Neku, Joshua was difficult to be tricked, or tricked at all, into getting anything Neku asked and it was obvious he wasn't leaving anytime soon.

"You can't tell me what to do in my own house!"

"Well, you can't tell me what to do in my own prefecture, now get in bed, Neku. Before I have to tie you to it.", Joshua smirked, as if he had a rope already in his hands and was completely prepared to do so. Neku swallowed whatever caught in his throat, coughing before anxiously slipping into bed, as per Composer's orders, eyes never leaving his. "Good boy.", Joshua gave Neku's head a pat, smiling as Neku looked like he was going to tear his hand off. Joshua put off the younger's expression and pulled his hand away calmly, before there was a light tapping on the door, Joshua opening the door for Neku. If he were to get it, he'd have to get up and Joshua had worked so hard to threaten him into bed.

"Neku, I brought you something to eat, finish it then take your medicine, okay? Joshua, dear, would you like anything?", Neku's mother spoke as soon as Joshua had opened the door, a tray in her hands as she walked in, a bowl of hot soup, a glass of orange juice, and a tiny bottle of medicine for him to take after. Her orange red hair must be where Neku got it from. A half apron on her waist, crisp and clean as if she just bought it.

"No thank you. I've fine.", Joshua declined, Neku sat up, the tray on his lap.

"Oh, but you can, at least, stay for dinner? Neku rarely brings his friends over.", she asked politely, sweet woman, how Neku ended up being such a sourpuss was beyond Joshua's comprehension and that didn't happen often. A smile curled his lips, Neku glaring daggers at him to say no.

"I'd love to."

"Damn you!"

"Neku! That's no way to speak to your guest! He came all the way here to visit you when you're sick! The least you could do was be polite!", Mrs. Sakuraba scolded her son, Neku just sinking into his shoulders, hand clenching around a handful of his bed spread.

"Oh, its alright, I did come in unexpectedly.", Joshua shrugged it off as Neku's mother told them that dinner would be ready in a little while with a kind grin before leaving. How ever did Neku become that little ball of angst before the game? With a mother like that?

"Will you just go away, I'm fine! I never want to see you again, remember?!", Neku muttered between coughs and sneezes he held back until his mother was out of the room. Joshua went to the younger's desk and leaned his hips against it, palms flat against the surface as he grinned a smirk.

"Oh, but who ever will take care of my poor Proxy? Neku, just be glad I'm still playing with you even after the Game ended, so ungrateful!", Joshua rolled his eyes away with an even cockier smirk.

"Oh yeah, just because you're Shibuya's Composer doesn't mean I'm glad to see you or the fact you enjoy screwing with my life!!", his tone raised significantly, glaring daggers at said Composer who nonchalantly glanced at his fingernails.

"Who ever said I enjoyed screwing with your life, Neku? Maybe I enjoy your company and what happened those few weeks we spent Playing. Maybe you've just been too blinded by your hatred for me to notice.", Joshua spoke darkly, seriously, the prissy tone nearly gone from his voice. No smirk, no giggle, it was so alien, seeing Joshua like that. Neku was nearly awestruck, nothing could be said.

"…J-Josh, I…", Neku started but couldn't finish, nor exactly understand what he wanted to convey. Then he ruined the moment with a smile curling his lips and the air of cockiness he was accustomed returned.

"You what? Please, enlighten me, Neku.", the Composer shrugged his shoulders, wanting an answer, and apparently, by the look in his eyes, he wanted it now.

"I don't hate you…", Neku's messy orange bangs overshadowed his blue eyes. The other blinked, crossing his arms as he awaited a reply from his proxy. "I… I hate what you do, and I hate what you did but I don't hate you…", Neku spoke, head turning along with his eyes in an attempt to quell the tension, the Composer all the calmer with an unreadable expression to his pale face. Neku almost begged him to say something, a sarcastic comment, a flirty pass, a giggle, anything. But he didn't say a thing. At least, at first. Neku bit his bottom lip, wanting to take it back now, nearly regretting he said anything remotely like that.

"That's just like you, Neku. Telling me things like that much too late for me to do anything about it.", the Composer sighed. Neku was confused for a moment before Joshua pulled something out of his back pocket. A bottle of… something. The way it rattled in his slender hands, they were pills. There wasn't a label on them, and Joshua didn't look like he was about to explain what they'd do. He reached onto the tray still sitting across Neku's lap on his bed and snatched away the bottle of medicine his mother gave him and replaced it with the bottle he took out, putting the one replaced on the desk. "You should eat up if your going to get better, Neku. You look sick as a dog.", he insulted with his usual tone. Neku's left eye twitched.

"Well, I wouldn't be if I didn't have to take care of you yesterday!", Neku retorted before his hands found the bowl of soup, lifting it to his lips. Luckily, it'd cooled off to just lukewarm. Neku hated anything being too hot to eat, which made no sense to him. Eyes rarely leaving the Composer as he found one of Neku's issues of Pinhead Weekly,

"Tin Pin, still? I would've thought you'd give it up after the Game. Beating ten year olds in back alleys, hmm?", Joshua remarked as he flipped through it. He really didn't want to read it, he just picked it up. Not only that but he wrote its articles so he already knew all of the information inside. Neku's empty bowl sat on the tray before he scoffed, not wanting to reply. Neku was more than just into Tin Pin Slammer. To the point of obsession, you could say. He drank down half of his orange juice before putting it on the tray and picking up the bottle Joshua replaced with his other medicine.

"What the hell is this gonna do? One of your date rape drugs, I presume?", Neku stated, a cold stare towards Joshua who feigned innocence, a hands over his face and even managed to fake a flushed look.

"How could you even assume such a thing, Neku! I'm hurt, really!", his voice sounded even prissier is possible. An over excess of Joshua's girly demeanor or little to none of it at all was strange. Now that he thought about it, Neku was completely content with how Joshua was normally. Or at least, normal for Josh. He liked that balance he had, and he enjoyed arguing with him, which seemed odd when you thought about it. It wasn't arguing anymore, now Neku barely meant a word in his insults. Including that 'date rape drug' thing. He didn't mean it. That second week, he meant a lot of what he said to Josh.

"Seriously, what's it do?", he asked, curious. Plus, he wasn't going to take something and not know what it'd do.

"Its some medicine I got from Sanae, he got it from Herbal Remedies. Its supposed to help for colds almost instantly.", Joshua stated, he looked like he was telling the truth and Neku did still trust him. But then again, Joshua was also ridiculously dishonest. "Just take it. Cross my heart and hope to die.", his index finger made an x across his chest as with the saying as he smiled. It looked genuine. Neku shrugged, taking the top off before taking two green capsules inside, popping them into his mouth and following with the orange juice, finishing the contents of the glass and setting it on the tray, his mom would get it later.

"If this medicine works so well, why didn't you take it yesterday?"

"Details, details. I just couldn't find it yesterday. Sanae tends to hide all the good stuff from me and Neku Jr. so we can't get into it. I swear, its like he thinks I'm not trustworthy after all these years.", Neku gave a chuckle, rather than another reply. This threw Joshua for a loop as well, he was laughing? Not agreeing with Sanae on this? Weird. This whole reunion was weird actually.

"Oh, by the way, now that you're better, you fix your cat?", he asked, wondering if he was still rainbow colored. Thinking it over, it was a pretty funny sight, it gave him a laugh every few times the image came into his head.

"Yes, our baby's orange again, don't worry.", Joshua spoke with that smirk broad across his face. Neku twitched before looking at him.

"Your cat isn't our baby…", Neku spoke, containing his anger towards the assumption they had a child. Joshua stuck his index to his lips.

"Don't say that, he might be listening. He'd be distraught to find out you've abandoned him like that!", Neku rolled his eyes at this, almost sarcastically as his eyes met the Composer's violet ones. Neku always wondered why his eyes and hair color were so odd. Because he was the Composer? Contacts? Birth defect? What? Eh, it didn't really matter much, but all these thoughts were insignificant, he never had any questions about anything about Joshua, save for whether the Composer killed him or not (and, for the record, he was right). Maybe now that there wasn't any pressure anymore from the UG, Noise, missions and stuff, he could let his thoughts wander a little more.

"Yeah, sure, Joshua… He's even got your girly personality.", Neku said, moving the tray from his lap to the night stand, atop another issue of PW he was reading last night.

"Girly? I'm not girly, I prefer ambiguous, thank you.", wait, that's basically the same thing, isn't it? Neku snickered before he gave a sneeze. It was held back, trying not to. He didn't know why he did that all the time, holding back every time he would sneeze. It came out a decimal of what it should have been. He gave a groan, the medicine wasn't working yet. Joshua bent down onto the floor of where Neku threw the tissue box at him, put it on the desk and plucked on from it, handing it to his ill proxy.

"Thanks, Josh…", he sneezed again, still holding back.

"Chibi sneeze?", Joshua giggled, crossing his arms as soon as Neku took the tissue from the Composer's fingers.

"Shut up…", Neku murmured halfheartedly as he blew his nose into it. He balled it up, sniffling as he tossed it into a trashcan by his bed, already half full of used tissues. His cold headaches were gone, Joshua headaches were still there though. Sniffles were still there, his throat was still a little sore but he was getting better.

"Feeling better?"

"I'd be feeling a whole lot better if you left."

"Ouch, that hurts, I can't believe you said that to me.", he faked another sob, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye with his hand. Neku smirked like he was only kidding. Wait, he wanted his company now? Confusing, that's all this and yesterday was, confusing.

There was a knock at the door, calling for Neku and Joshua. It was Mrs. Sakuraba calling, apparently, for dinner. Neku put on his slippers as he crawled out of bed. He felt a lot better, at least he could breathe now. Whatever it was Neku's mother was cooking, it seemed really good. Usually, Sanae cooked for him or Joshua went somewhere to eat. It'd been a while since he seemed real home cooked food. Sanae tended to burn things to distasteful crisps.

"Dinners ready. Neku, dear, are you feeling any better?", the kind woman asked with a smile as she opened the door.

"Yeah, a lot better actually.", Neku grinned to his mother. Aw, how cute.

"Well, come on down to dinner then. Joshua, you're welcome to join us. Unfortunately, Neku's father won't be joining us, he's working late tonight.", his mother spoke before turning around to head back down stairs where there were three places set for them at the table in the kitchen. They all made their way to the table and sat down. Typical dinner. Fish, pickles, rice, soup, tea. Not extravagant or fancy, just dinner. Joshua seemed to smile at the simplicity. Neku sat down on one side and Joshua followed to the seat next to him as his mother sat across from them. He was looking better, all throughout dinner. They made small talk, mostly Joshua and Neku's mother of how her son behaved around Joshua, what grade Joshua was in, though, Joshua lied about near all of these things, seeing as he was the Composer of Shibuya. Probably the only thing truthful was his name, the few mentions of staying with Mr. H, and the fact he and Neku had 'played' together. This made him twitch, wanting to stuff chopsticks full of rice into his mouth to shut him up but then Joshua would look at him submissively, like Neku was intending to feed him his food. Neku watched that smirk light his face as Joshua's cell phone went off in some weird classical ring tone. Composer much? He excused himself as he went to go take it in the other room by the first of the stairs. Neku couldn't hear much of the conversation, not that he was eavesdropping or anything! But he heard Mr. H's first name. Oh, that's who he was talking to? He heard something like 'let me tell him!' from Joshua's voice, hushed, pressured. The always calm, nonchalant, prissy Composer was being pressured into telling someone something? Wait, 'him'? Did Joshua want to say something to Neku? When Joshua came back into the room, he looked uneasy as he sat down. He went back to being his usual self once dessert came around. Ice cream, nothing special really. Once dinner was finished and Neku's mother waved them off to play video games or watch T.V. with each other instead of staying to help with the dishes.

" 'Kay, Mom.", Neku retreated to his room, starting to clean his room somewhat, at least so he could get the bacteria out of the way. Stuffing everything into his garbage can before placing it outside his door from him to take out later, after Joshua was gone. Once it was relatively clean, Neku spoke up. "Hey, Josh, shouldn't you be heading back to the UG or Wild Kat or where ever it is you live?", Joshua seemed to frown at the confusion of his residence.

"One, I live with Sanae on occasion. Two, no, you seem to forget that I'm a much higher being and has no need for a curfew. But it sounds like you want me gone, how hateful of you.". Joshua glanced away, sitting on Neku's bed now that it was clean of tissues. Neku pouted, that was somewhat untrue but then again…

"Well, excuse me for not knowing that.", Neku retorted, though it was… holding back? Not being as sarcastic or as angry with Joshua as he had been when he was playing the Game with him that week. All the pressure from Shiki made him so angry? Probably, Neku was playing for her after being cheated out of, plus, he was dealing with his snarky little assailant. That'd make a guy pretty damn mad for no reason.

"But Neku… Thank you for taking care of me yesterday…", Joshua spoke not in his flirty, condescending tone, but normally, like an actual person. This was probably the oddest of them all. And some weird shit happened between these two.

"…No problem, I mean, I probably would've even if Mr. H didn't ask me to.", Neku tried to reply. It wasn't like he had a choice in the end but it wasn't that bad. Yeah, he tricked him, and he was being smug and cocky and condescending and a jerk and… well, he was being Joshua. That's all there was too it. But during the game, during his second week, there was so much pressure, lives were on the line, it felt like Beat was betraying Shiki and him, and his own death and who'd murdered him. That's a lot for someone to take and not be angry. He was, in his own mind, more level headed now after the Game, and saw there wasn't anything to Joshua's attitude, though, it could still be somewhat insufferable. Has he been angry at him all this time because he thought he was? Neku spaced out, very clearly, as Joshua blinked at his Proxy.

"…Yoo-hoo, Neku?", Joshua sang, trying to get his attention. Nothing. Still focused on too many thoughts. Joshua did the only thing he knew how. Okay, no, that wasn't the only thing he could've done but he wanted to do it just to see his face. Shibuya's Composer left a peck on Neku's lips, short, sweet, and to the point. Neku stepped back, a gasp from the boy, an immediate red shade coming onto his cheeks.

"J-J-Josh, what the hell?!", his eyes were wide and there wasn't a lot to say but the first thing on his mind which was complete and utter shock. The boy's reaction earned another snarky little smirk across the Composer's face.

"Aw, you were just so cute, I couldn't help myself.", he grinned even wider, resembling a Cheshire. Neku's hand couldn't help but touch over his lips and cheeks, burning red from complete embarrassment, even though the two were alone in Neku's room. "Besides, that lets me know you're all better now! My work here is done!", he said, standing, turning on his heel and reaching for the door and would've left if it weren't for Neku's hand grabbing his gray silver dress shirt.

"Hang on, I didn't eavesdrop or anything, you were just really loud but… During dinner, you… said you were going to tell me something… What?", Neku asked, half anxious of what. Though, whatever it was, Neku wanted Joshua to tell him. No matter what it was.

"…You really want to know?", Joshua asked, his voice sounding almost cold and just as anxious as he was. Neku felt a lump grow in the back of his throat as the air thickened and made breathing difficult. Shibuya's Proxy nodded silently as its Composer turned a violet eye over his shoulder. It almost looked sad but it was only for a moment as Joshua's silver mess of hair moved in front of his eyes, making it impossible to see his expression. "Neku Jr. had kittens, we're grandparents!", he chirped, smiling. Neku seethed, a hand turned into a fist, raising itself, wanting to collide with Joshua's face.

"Get out of here already!!", he yelled, pulling the door open and, literally kicking the Composer in the ass and out his bedroom door. Joshua turned to go back inside before the door was slammed shut millimeters away from his nose. Neku jumped back onto his bed, hands folding under his head as he glared towards the ceiling as if it were Joshua himself. "Stupid Josh… Came here to tell me his stupid cat had stupid kittens… All that time for nothing…", was Neku waiting for Joshua to tell him something more than that? Why was he expecting anything like that?! And with Josh?! Neku grabbed his pillow and pulled it tight over his head, gripping the case tight. He lay there for but a moment until he heard Joshua's voice through the door.

"Neku…?", he asked, not much confidence in his voice. Neku threw his pillow at the Composer behind the door, landing on the floor by it.

"What?! You named them Nekky and Josh-Josh?!"

"No… I lied.", he admitted. Neku was suddenly interested, not only but he felt his chest tighten around his heart. "I love you."

"…", Neku had nothing to say, was that what he was waiting for or…?

"Well, bye-bye, Neku.", Joshua giggled one last time, Neku half stunned, he couldn't move. He saw the older one's shadow leave the door with graceful footsteps, quietly going down the stairs. Neku could faintly hear Joshua's gracious goodbyes to his mother downstairs before he heard the front door shut. Neku got to his feet, finally, pulling the door open, not paying any mind to the pillow in the way as he rushed down the flight, two at a time, running dangerously down until he could rush past his mother in the kitchen.

"N-Neku, where are you going?!", she asked as he had ran outside, not even bothering with shoes, only going to catch up with Joshua. He glanced around, he wasn't there… He just disappeared into thin air… No, not that, he was in the UG, traveling through there.

"Josh, wait a minute, get back here!", he ran down the street, leading to the Scramble where Josh would have to go to get back to Wild Kat if there was still the possibility he didn't just poof there or something. "You can't just say that and leave, you bastard!!", he shouted that loudest, his throat still red, sore, from his cold earlier. He stood in the street for a moment, dark and empty with no one around. The only light from his own house, its door left wide open.

Xx The Next Day xX

Neku stormed his way to the Producer's café. Making his way quickly through the Scramble. Even shouldering people out of his way in order to get to his desired destination. Past Towa Records, through Miyashita, down Cat Street. The place was empty, as usual but Neku stopped taking heed of such things as he went past the barista, polishing a glass.

"H-hey, Phones! Wait a minute, where're you goin'?!", he called, putting the glass and cloth down quickly before he chased after him. As Neku reached for the stairs, Sanae took hold of his arm. "What's the rush, Phones?", he asked calmly now that Neku wasn't going anywhere. Neku relaxed his arm, allowing Mr. Hanekoma to let go of him.

"Where's Josh?", Neku asked sternly before Sanae pointed up the stairs.

"He's up in his room. Why do you-- Hey!!", Neku bolted up the stairs, skipping several and going down the hallway, Sanae would've gone up there but he ran into a wall. Invisible, created in the RG, and impossible to break through with his Producer powers. Obviously, Josh expected company. The defeated barista went back behind the empty counter in his empty café.

"Joshua!", Neku pushed open the door, the serpent on it crawled off to the other side of it between the door and wall. Joshua was sitting on his bed, grinning like he knew why Neku was here, and he did. His legs hung over the side, the bed was taller than his lower half and were hanging there before he brought them up to cross them on his bed spread. Its big, fluffy white shape made it look like Josh was sitting on a cloud. Neku Jr. kitten less and snoozing with his all orange tabby fur curled up at the foot of the Composer's bed. "What the hell was that for?!", he stepped inside, the serpents were riled slightly. It took Neku a moment to notice the bits of food, a sandwich cut into fourths. The Composer's pianist fingers took a fourth and threw it up onto the ceiling with an inhuman grace as the serpent peeled off the wall and ate it within his jaws. Fangs long and clearly visible as the two dimensional lizard shifted away.

"Whatever could you be talking about, Neku?", Joshua giggled as he grabbed another piece of the sandwich. He glanced over towards another snake, breaking eye contact with Neku. He tossed it off toward him, the thing coming off the wall a good three feet in front of Neku's eyes, it reared his head back to let the sandwich fall into his mouth before going back onto Joshua's walls.

"You know what I mean. You said… You said that you loved me…", his loud tone calmed down to a murmur, the large collar of his shirt covered most of the tint on Neku's cheeks thought not all and Joshua saw it when his eyes rested on his Proxy again.

"Oh, that. I meant what I said and I'm not taking it back either.", Joshua spoke in a stern tone, not meaning to budge if that was even what Neku wanted.

"I don't mean that you take it back… I mean…"

"What, you realized you feel the same for me?", Joshua spoke of it like it was a joke as he took the third slice into his hand. Neku looked at him, he wasn't kidding.

"No but, I guess it wouldn't hurt to try, right…?", Neku asked cautiously, suddenly taking an interest in Joshua's black carpet before his eyes moved up to Josh, grip loosening on the piece of the serpent's sandwich but not dropping it. He tossed it off, a bit too far but the snake snatched it into the side of his mouth as Joshua stood up from his bed. Neku felt arms embrace him tightly, arms that wouldn't let go no matter how much he wanted to try. Neku hesitantly returned it though Joshua only seemed to grip him tighter. It was silent after that, Junior's quiet feline snoring was the only thing in the room while whatever Mr. H did downstairs echoed in the hall from downstairs.

"Thank you, Neku… I love you so much…", Joshua spoke gratefully, Neku was so close to him but he couldn't tell if what Joshua just said made him cry or not. Though he couldn't exactly imagine the Composer sobbing. Neku pulled an embarrassed little grin on his face before he spoke.

"I love you too…", he decided, though it was more like he eased into it than decided. They stayed like that for a few more moments on Joshua's request when--

"Hey, Boss, Phones!!", Neku gave a gasp and a shout when Sanae had come up from behind the two and shouted out in the hallway. "Want anything? For a modest little fee, I could bring you two lovebirds something.", he grinned.

"No thanks, Sanae. I'm fine though, you may want to call 911, seems Neku's having a heart attack…", Joshua spoke, letting him fall onto the edge of the bed, looking down on him. A smirk before Shibuya's Composer spoke. "Hee hee, get well soon, Neku…", he placed a kiss to his cheek. "I love you."


End file.
